A Long Journey to the Bridge Over the Atlantic, Scotland

An adventure to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides

When my girlfriend asked me if I would like to go stay at her parent's second home in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, I giddily accepted.

I’d love to say my enthusiasm was because I wanted to spend quality time with somebody I love, in reality I was already considering the photographic opportunities.

I was picturing the remote wilderness, the stars, the wildlife and the opportunities to create photos that simply aren’t possible where I live.

Soon after, my eyes were glued to a satellite map of the Isle of Lewis scanning for interesting locations to shoot aerial photos from.

I found many. So many. Too many. How would we squeeze all these locations into six days?

The wilderness of the remote Scottish island on the Outer Hebrides is wet dream material for a nature photographer.

I’m not usually a list kinda guy but I made a list. On that list was:

“bridge to Great Bernera”

Travelling to the Outer Hebrides

First, a quick geography lesson.

The Isle of Lewis is part of a collection of islands in the Outer Hebrides off the North West coast of Scotland

To reach it, people typically take a ferry from Ullapool in the North West of the Scottish mainland.

Having made it in time for the ferry, the tiredness starts to set in after a long journey north from England along winding roads.

Still, I wasn’t too tired to fly the drone though and took this aerial photo of the ferry at Ullapool port that would be transporting us to the Isle of Lewis (happily, it’s an image I’ve licensed a few times in the past year!)

Hopefully, you’re already getting a sense of how stunning the scenery is in this remote area of Scotland.

Whilst the journey so far had been quite the adventure, the journey to the bridge was only just beginning.

Patience, Preparation and Persistence

As I’ve already said, preparation for this adventure began long before I set foot on the rugged terrain of Lewis.

Armed with Google Earth, I meticulously scoured the island for the perfect vantage points, ensuring every moment of the journey would be worth it.

I hadn’t, however, factored in one crucial element into my adventure.

The weather.

The Isle of Lewis welcomed me with its wild and untamed beauty, but it also greeted me with its infamous weather.

As I navigated the narrow roads that snaked through dramatic cliffs and windswept moors, I encountered the unpredictable elements that define the Scottish Isles.

The weather on Lewis is as fickle as it is fierce.

One moment, the sky would be clear, offering panoramic views of the breathtaking coastline; the next, dense fog would roll in, obscuring everything in its path.

Rain showers would sweep across the landscape with little warning, drenching me to the bone before disappearing as quickly as they came.

I hunkered down in the cosy cottage waiting for an opportunity to get the drone up in the air to capture the beauty of the island. I tried not to outwardly portray my disappointment so as not to appear ungrateful to my girlfriend.

On the third day, the weather looked promising. I did not get too hopeful as I knew the weather here was highly changeable.

Despite the challenging conditions, I was driven by the desire to capture the essence of this remote island.

I got into the car and drove.

With each passing mile, I was rewarded with moments of pure magic – towering sea stacks rising from the tumultuous waves, ancient standing stones shrouded in mist, and expansive vistas that stretched to the horizon.

The Bridge Over the Atlantic

Finally, the moment arrived to photograph the Bridge from the skies.

I pulled into a lay-by during a brief respite from the ever-changing weather and I launched my DJI Mini 3 Pro drone into the sky.

Its propellers sliced through the air and wobbled in the wind. Not the most confidence-inspiring start to the shoot.

The Mini 3 Pro is a wonderfully light drone. This makes it perfect for carrying on hikes. Its weight also ensures you can legally fly close to people and structures.

But a sub-250g drone struggles with wind and Lewis has plenty of wind to compete with.

I concentrated hard on the task at hand, radio turned off and watched as the drone soared over the iconic structure.

From this bird’s eye view, I witnessed the convergence of land and sea, a testament to the great feats of civil engineering that had created this bridge over the tempestuous seas below.

I decided a fast shutter speed would help to compensate for the harsh conditions imposed by the wind yet also wanted a longer shutter speed to smooth out the sea – I chanced upon both options.

I wanted to capture the full length of the bridge but had to remain under the 120m altitude limit imposed by legislation so I decided to take multiple vertical oriented shots and stitch them together during post-processing to create a panorama.

I’m pleased with the final panorama (top of this story) although I wished my shots to the right of the bridge were successful enough to incorporate into the final panorama; this would have meant I could have the bridge over the water in the centre of the frame.

There’s always next time.

I’m sure I’ll visit the beauty of the Hebridean Isles again to chase the fleeting light and ever-changing weather of this island. (in fact, I know I’m going for ten whole days this summer!)

Or, I suppose I could just generative fill the right-hand side of the photo…but that’s a topic for another time!

Another story about capturing nature’s beauty in an aerial drone photo is here if you’d like to check it out!